Refuse Vehicle Fleet Remote Control for Coordinated Route Operation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing control systems for refuse vehicles lack efficient remote operation capabilities, making it difficult to coordinate the operation of multiple vehicles along a collection route.
Innovation Solution
A remote control system that includes a leader vehicle and one or more follower vehicles, equipped with processing circuits that acquire input data from the leader vehicle and generate control signals to operate the controllable elements of the follower vehicles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional control systems are used for refuse vehicles, then each vehicle requires its own operator, but this increases operational costs and reduces coordination efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a virtual copy of the leader vehicle's control inputs and transmits them to follower vehicles. The processing circuits in follower vehicles receive and execute these control signals, enabling multiple vehicles to follow the same operational pattern without requiring separate operators for each vehicle.
Solution Approach 2:
A communication system acts as an intermediary between the leader vehicle and follower vehicles. The system transmits control signals and operational data through this intermediary channel, enabling coordinated operation while reducing the need for direct human intervention in each vehicle.
2Ease of operation
If multiple operators are deployed to control separate refuse vehicles, then vehicle operation is maintained, but the need for multiple operators increases operational costs
Solution Approach 1:
Follower vehicles operate autonomously by automatically receiving and executing control signals from the leader vehicle. The vehicles self-coordinate without requiring external operators for each unit, with the leader vehicle's operator effectively controlling the entire fleet through the communication system.
Solution Approach 2:
The control functions of multiple vehicles are merged into a single operational control point. The leader vehicle's control inputs are combined and distributed to all follower vehicles, allowing one operator to effectively control multiple vehicles simultaneously, thereby reducing the total number of operators needed.
3Reliability
If remote control capabilities are added to refuse vehicles, then coordination between vehicles is improved, but the system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The communication system and processing circuits are designed to handle multiple functions: transmitting control signals, receiving operational data, and coordinating vehicle movements. This multi-functional design reduces the need for separate specialized systems for each function, thereby limiting the increase in overall system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A remote control system for operating vehicles includes a first vehicle, a second vehicle including one or more controllable elements, and one or more processing circuits. The one or more processing circuits are configured to acquire, from the first vehicle, input data corresponding to the second vehicle, generate, based on the input data, control signals for the one or more controllable elements of the second vehicle, and provide the control signals to the one or more controllable elements of the second vehicle to operate the one or more controllable elements according to the input data.